Advances in Remote Detection of Attacks Against Civilians

• In Event: Causes and Consequences of Civilian Victimization

Abstract

Intentional attacks on medical personnel in wartime are direct violations of article 19 in the 1949 Geneva convention. Yet, such attacks are being reported from contemporary battlefields. A Saudi-led coalition has repeatedly attacked medical installations in Yemen, blaming erroneous targeting information. The Syrian regime has engaged in "double tap" strikes, i.e. two precision aerial attacks on residential neighborhoods in approximately thirty-minute intervals. The first strike kills and injures civilians, and partially collapses the targeted building. The second strike kills first responders that rush to the scene to pull victims form the rubble. Qualitative reporting on these events is trustworthy, due to diligent investigative journalism. However, knowledge of how common these attacks are and to what extent they can be reduced by international pressure is not currently obtainable. In a pilot study on the use of seismo-acoustic technologies in conflict zones, we demonstrate the possibility of detecting areal strikes on medical and residential infrastructure. First results from Yemen and field experiments near an artillery training site in Norway will be presented. Extensions of the technology to incorporate satellite imaging will be outlined. Additionally, a preregistration for substantive research will be presented on determinants of cease-fire and human rights violations.

Author

• Sebastian Schutte